McCain formally wins presidential nomination at St. Paul convention

ST. PAUL, Minn. (MarketWatch) - As the Republican Party formally nominated John McCain for president Wednesday, vice president nominee Sarah Palin launched a formidable attack on Democratic hopeful Barack Obama and characterized herself as an outsider who won't conform to Washington's ways.

Picked by McCain to accompany him on the ticket just five days ago - and the first woman in the history of the Republican Party to be tapped for the vice president slot - Palin made a confident declaration of her abilities, the subject of recent scrutiny. She hit Obama in his soft spots, taking on such issues as his statement earlier this year that some people in small towns "cling" to religion and guns when they get disillusioned with politics.

She also took issue with Obama's one-time occupation as a community organizer, and questioned whether he had the executive experience to be president. Palin's lack of experience has become a talking point, along with questions regarding her family life. She has served as Alaska's chief executive since 2006 and previously was the mayor of Wasilla, with a population of roughly 8,500.

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities," Palin said. "I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening."

Palin later added: "We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco."

'Palin power'

Palin was greeted a long standing ovation by a raucous crowd at St. Paul's Xcel Center, who raised signs that said "Hockey Moms 4 Palin," and "Palin Power." Her speech was interrupted numerous times with applause, as the crowd tried to beat back the criticism of Palin in recent days.

The vice presidential nominee assumed an air of confidence, echoing attacks on Obama's supposed elitism. She made a passing reference to the Democratic candidate's speech before roughly 84,000 at Invesco Field in Denver last week, and the elaborate stage set up for the occasion.

"When the cloud of rhetoric has passed, when the roar of the crowd fades away, when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - when that happens what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?" Palin asked.

It all amounted to conventioneers gushing praise for Palin.

"She [hit] a grand-slam home run," said California delegate Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, 74, adding Palin will make the difference in getting women to vote and securing a McCain victory. "She will energize the conservative base like never before."

Palin also endeared herself to the crowd by proclaiming she was not part of the Washington establishment.

"I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone," Palin told the convention. "But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this great country."

Rhetoric

The Obama campaign replied by noting that Palin's speech was more of the same Republican rhetoric.

"The speech that Governor Palin gave was well delivered, but it was written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years," spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement.

Palin spoke to the GOP's quadrennial gathering just before she and McCain were about to claim the nomination for the party's ticket heading into November. They will face Obama and Sen. Joseph Biden.

Palin got a little help from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who warmed the crowd with a scathing attack on Obama. Giuliani called into question Obama's changing stands on an undivided Jerusalem, wiretapping and his previous vow to take public financing.

"If I were Joe Biden, I'd want to get that vice president thing in writing," Giuliani said. He also criticized Obama for his stand on the recent Russian occupation of Georgia, and blasted the Obama campaign for its criticism of Palin's mayorship of Wasilla, Alaska.

Still, the McCain-Palin duo headed into the fall contest with questions over Palin's personal and professional lives.

Family, professional issues

Palin in recent days has seen extensive coverage of the pregnancy of her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol; the governor's initial support of the controversial "Bridge to Nowhere"; a request by her administration for federal earmarks; and a probe over her handling of the dismissal of a state public safety official.

In the latter, Palin is charged with having sought the dismissal of her former brother-in-law, state trooper Mike Wooten, for allegedly threatening members of Palin's family. A probe centers on whether Palin pressured former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire Wooten. Palin later dismissed Monegan, but denied it was over the Wooten incident.

Earlier Wednesday, a number of prominent women in the GOP came to Palin's defense, charging the media with sexist coverage of the candidate.

Discussion centered on whether Palin, who has five children, including a 4-month-old with Down Syndrome, will be able to handle the rigors of being the country's No. 2 executive.

"She has a great message that regardless of your background, regardless of what's going on in your family, you still can achieve, you still can be whatever you want to be in the United States of America," Lorin Jones, 40, an alternate delegate from Orlando, Fla. "She came across as being a regular human, an everyday person you could go up and talk to and not some part of an elite group."

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